2001 MONACO COACH DIPLOMAT LE — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MONACO DIPLOMAT LE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HIS REFRIGERATOR FAILED TO WORK. HE CALLED A LOCAL TECHNICIAN TO COME OUT AND INSPECT THE VEHICLE AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WAS A COOLANT LEAK. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE FAILURE COULD BE REPAIRED OR THE CONTACT COULD PURCHASE A NEW UNIT. THE CONTACT CHOSE TO PURCHASE A NEW UNIT; HOWEVER, THE OLD UNIT WAS NOT REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS INOPERABLE. ON APRIL 9, 2008, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION FOLLOWED BY A HISSING SOUND AND A STRONG AMMONIA ODOR. HIS GRANDSON NOTICED A FIRE IN THE AREA OF THE REFRIGERATOR. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT AND HIS FAMILY THAT THEY COULD NOT STAY IN THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE FUMES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. MONACO STATED THAT THEY WERE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 08E030000 (EQUIPMENT), BUT HIS UNIT WAS IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE DEFECTED UNITS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 31,000.

3RD UPDATE TO OD ID #8005766. THE GOODYEAR PRODUCT SERVICE BULLETIN (PSB 2002-20), DATED JULY 10, 2002, WAS FOR THE 1999-2001 40 FT. MONACO WINDSOR MOTOR HOME WITH 275/70R22.5 LR H TIRES. OUR 2001 40 FT. DIPLOMATE LE HAS THE SAME TIRES AND WEIGHS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME. THE WHEELBASE ON THE 40 FT. WINDSOR IS 270 INCHES, THE WHEELBASE ON THE DIPLOMAT LE IS 256 INCHES, WHICH MAKES IT 12 INCHES SHORTER THAN THE WINDSOR AND WITH MORE WEIGHT TO THE REAR OF THE MOTOR HOME, WHICH COLD BE ONE OF THE CAUSES OF THE STEERING PROBLEM. I TALKED WITH AN ENGINEER FROM GOODYEAR AND HE SAID OUR MOTOR HOME, WITH 125 LBS. OF AIR IN THE TIRES AND RUNNING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS IN 90+ DEGREE WEATHER, WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO THE "FIRESTONE FORD ROLLOVER" PROBLEM, WITH THIS SIZE TIRE AND AIR PRESSURE. (HE ALSO INDICATED HE WOULD HAVE TO DENY THIS SHOULD HE BE ASKED BY ANY SAFETY AGENCY). GOODYEAR DOES HAVE A TIRE WHICH IS A SIZE BETWEEN WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND WHAT THEY ARE PUTTING ON THE WINDSOR (WHICH IS TOO LARGE FOR OUR MOTOR HOME). I TALKED WITH AN ENGINEER FROM MICHELIN AND HE SAID THE MICHELIN 275/80R22X2A2 WOULD BE A LOT SAFER TIRE ON THE VEHICLE. THAT TIRE IS 41 INCHES IN DIAMETER AS COMPARED TO OUR 37 INCHES IN DIAMETER, AND WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO STEER BETTER. WE'VE MET A LOT OF PEOPLE AT MONACO RALLYS WHO HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND TIRES, BUT THEY SAID MONACO TOLD THEM IF THEY REPORTED ANY PROBLEMS TO THE GOVERNMENT, THEY WOULD NO LONGER TRY TO HELP THEM. WEIGHT & MEASUREMENT CHARTS FOR MONACO COACHES CAN BE FOUND AT HTTP://WWW.MONACOCOACH.COM. MONACO ONLY MADE THE DIPLOMAT LE IN 2001 AND 2002 AND THEN STOPPED. WE FEEL THIS HAD TO DO WITH THE POOR QUALITY OF THE PRODUCT ALTHOUGH THEY DENY THIS.

2ND UPDATE TO OD ID 8005766. THE GOODYEAR TIRE REPLACEMENT, WE ARE TOLD, WAS NOT A RECALL AND DID NOT INCLUDE OUR COACH. HOWEVER, WE FEEL BECAUSE THE TIRE SIZES BEING REPLACED WERE THE SAME AS OURS, WE SHOULD BE INCLUDED. MONACO STATES THEY DID NOT TELL GOODYEAR NOT TO REPLACE THE TIRES, GOODYEAR CHOSE NOT TO PUT LARGER TIRES ON. WE HAVE ALSO SOUGHT TO HAVE THE MONROE SHOCKS REPLACED AND WERE TOLD BY MONROE THAT ROADMASTER WOULD HAVE TO TAKE THEM OFF AND SEND THEM BACK; HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL DISPUTE, ROADMASTER WILL NOT DO THIS. THE SHOCKS ARE UNDER WARRANTY. WE ARE STILL BEING TOLD TO CONTACT A MONROE DEALER. HOWEVER, WE STILL FEEL THAT BECAUSE MONACO HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING SINCE WE'VE HAD THE MOTOR HOME, THEY SHOULD BE MORE COOPERATIVE WHEN OUTSIDE AGENCIES TRY TO ASSIST US. WE FEEL THE MOTOR HOME IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE OF THE STEERING.

UPDATE TO OD ID 8005766. WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET OUR STEERING PROBLEM SOLVED WITH MONACO BUT THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE WE HAVE A LAWSUIT PENDING (THE LAWSUIT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE STEERING PROBLEM). WE RECENTLY LEARNED THAT GOODYEAR HAS A RECALL (PSB#2002-20) ON OUR TIRES, WHICH ONLY HAVE 15,000 MILES ON AND ARE BADLY WORN, BUT MONACO WILL NOT AUTHORIZE THE REPLACEMENT BECAUSE OF OUR LAWSUIT. WE WANT TO UPDATE THIS COMPLAINT SO, IN THE EVENT WE ARE INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT WE HAVE ON RECORD THAT MONACO HAS REFUSED TO ADDRESS THIS STEERING PROBLEM.

VEHICLE HAS HAD APPROXIMATELY 12 ALIGNMENTS, WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD AND IS DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. MANUFACTURER HAS NO REMEDY.*AK *MR